Anthology of Ransei
by aldendraco
Summary: This is just me thinking too much into stuff and creating a giant headcanon background lore for Pokemon Conquest, since the games itself gives us none. Everything from Ransei's history to wars and disasters of the past is going to be here. All pure headcanon (mostly, at least?) and open for anyone to use if they want to. Linked to a PoCon fic I plan on writing... at some point!
1. History of Ransei 1 -Aurora

**So as said in the summary, this is kind of an idea I got about writing a ton of my (headcanon) lore for the Ransei region. I have been trying to write sort of an epic/apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic Pokemon Conquest story since early May of 2016 but I had so many ideas for it, and putting them all into the chapters eventually became tiring and nothing would work out, since I kept thinking of new stuff and erasing other, haha...**

 **So I thought I'd compile all of my ideas here. This is basically the way the Pokemon Conquest universe works in my head -the story behind each kingdom, how the Warriors and Pokemon get their powers, how they link, info about the legendary Pokemon, story of the region's wars, disasters, etc, native ceremonies (mostly off on top of my head), communication with other regions, battling system, laws, literally everything that I can think of and the game does not provide. I am also taking ideas from various books here (esp. the Throne of Glass series is being a massive inspiration for me right now) but it's vague.**

 **It will take time. I might come back to other chapters and revise them. But here is everything I can think of, in sort of order, and it's basically open for any other fic writer of this fandom to use if they wish to do so, because admittedly the game gives us little to no info.**

 **I am going to start with part A, history of Ransei, which will include a description of all kingdoms in various aspects (lore, commerce, leadership, history, etc) as well as the history of Ransei's previous wars, and great disasters. This is going to be part A.**

 **I am going to start from Aurora in this chapter, and while I had hoped I could do it in order, next chapter (already written) is going to be Illusio, because I have tons of ideas for it XD for many reasons XD**

 **So yeah... I guess let's go!**

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 **A. HISTORY OF RANSEI**

 **1\. Aurora**

Aurora is, relatively, one of the newest kingdoms. Located at the centre of Ransei's Southern peninsula and the kingdom of Normal-type Pokemon which -while not posessing no special inherent skills, export boosted physical abilities and a strong affinity for movesets of any other type.

Aurora was founded by Warriors affiliated with Normal-type Pokemon as their Perfect Link, both of which had up until then been scattered across the rest of the kingdoms' armies, and were faced with discrimination of being 'weaker' thanks to the seemingly not-special typing. Eventually, most of them left the other kingdoms and settled into the deserted land of what later became Aurora. The group of warrior was led by a female warrior whose real name remains unknown, but she had been dubbed "Aurora" thanks to the fact that she originated from Nixtorm, and she had trained her Pokemon (a Kangashkan) to use primarily Ice-type moves. The kingdom was eventually named after her, and she had been its first Warlord, known as a brave, just and kind leader.

The land of Aurora is ran by the Normal-type Power Veins, the existence of which had, up until the settling of the Normal-type warriors and Pokemon into said land, been disbelieved. The land was already occupied by other (mainly Normal-type) Pokemon, some of which were indigenous to this kingdom.

While the Normal-type Power veins do not grant any significant characteristics, they boost the physical capabilities of the corresponding Warriors and Pokemon and are suspected to slightly aid the growth of healthy crops. The kingdoms itself has its fair share of crop fields, although it imports most of its supplies from Greenleaf, much like the rest of Ransei.

Most of the kingdom's land consists of plains and small hilltops, offering great ground for growing crops. There are various rivers originating from Fontaine.

Where the borders of Aurora overlap with those of Greenleaf, there is raging vegetation of all kinds as well as some common Grass-type Pokemon, and where the borders overlap with those of Fontaine, there are lakes and an increased presence of water and Water-type Pokemon. There's a point where the borders of all three kingdoms join, in the form of a grand marshland, part of which belongs to Aurora. Where the borders join those of Ignis, the landscape becomes dry, infertile and barren, and it's mostly uninhabited save by some common Fire-type Pokemon. It is often being visited by overly adenturous (or reckless) Auroran Warriors and their Pokemon. There are few cases of the daredevils disappearing after entering that territory, although these incidents have gradually decreased through the years, leading many to believe that said 'disappearances' of the past had been nothing but a story to scare children.

Aurora has few commerce and depends a lot on the income brough in by many of its Warriors, that often immigrate to other nearby kingdoms as merchants, mercenaries, etc. It exports mostly weaponry and a limited number of crops, importing more crops, cloths, etc.

Aurora's leadership is passed down to the strongest Normal-type trainer, regardless of origins, gender or blood relations, soon after the previous Warlord's passing (often the previous Warlord may just retire in old age). A competition amongst Normal-type Warriors that can be from all around Ransei and must be over the age of fifteen is held in the shape of duels. The 'champion', the one that comes to defeat all the other candidates by fighting fair and square and showcasing a sufficient bond with their partner Pokemon, becomes the new Warlord. Coups to defy the current leadership have never been reported in the history of Aurora, and most of its habitats consider it foul to oppose the Warlord without any real reason, such as unjust or insufficient administration.

The kingdom's official battlefield is the castle's own back yard -quite literally. It offers various features such as logs, short vegetation and shallow puddles meant to provide a pleasing challenge to the Warriors and their Pokemon.

Aurora's legendary deity/protector is Jirachi, the Pokemon of Wishes. Despite its typing is not affiliated with the kingdom, it is said to have appeared once over the history of Aurora, in front of its first Warlord and founder. It is said to be able to grant your one greatest wish, before going back to its slumber. It has been rumoured to have been sighted few times through the kingdom's history, often at times of a meteor shower, appearing much alike a shooting star in the night sky. Those who have claimed to have got even a glimpse of it have been reportedly blessed by great luck and happiness through their lives.

The people of Aurora are known as 'Aurorans'. The general quote of the kingdom is 'The sun shines bright upon our blessed land'. Alternatively, it seems to be 'Courage upon our hearts', which is similar to Valora's 'Valor is what rests inside our souls'.

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 **I couldn't think of much more for Aurora, unfortunately. If I get something new, I will get back to this and update (and put a notice about it in later chapters if it happens). But I am quite happy with what I thought of its past, even though I am sure in the end it will end up making no sense XD**

 **Figuring I should state this too: I own none of the location names, characters, or Pokemon stated into this fanfiction. It is plainly the work of a fan that is a little too obsessed with this game and thought of creating a lore for it, since very few already exists. I do not claim ownership of nothing beyond this story.**

 **But yeah... Illusio coming next! :D**

 **~Arashi**


	2. History of Ransei 2 -Illusio

**Yeah I hoped I would keep the order in this (meaning I should put up Ignis next, then Greenleaf then Fontaine and so on) but I had TONS of ideas for Illusio. May be because three of my favorite characters from the game are the warriors of this kingdom, may also be the fact that the kingdom's setting itself is pretty freaking epic (the thing with the crystals and the floating castle is amazing, wow!) but yeah. I got a whole lot more from this than what I got for Aurora... haha XD**

 **The disclaimer is the same as the one in the bottom of the last chapter! I will have to paste it here sometime too, but my eyes are dead now, and I need sleep...**

 **So without further ado, let's get into Illusio's story!**

* * *

 **A. HISTORY OF RANSEI**

 **2\. Illusio**

Illusio is the Psychic-type kingdom, also known as the Kingdom/Realm of Crystals. It is situated at the upper Northern section of Ransei's centre, thus exposes a unique combination of harsh, freezing winters (nearly rivalling those of Nixtorm) and smooth, pleasant summers. The seasons of spring and autumn are also fairly chilly in Illusio.

Illusio's borders with Terrera take the form of forrest-covered hills, the bottom of which starts from Illusio's largest river. The hills eventually merge with Terrera's sand plains.

Despite the Northern part of Ransei's centre communicates with the sea, the shore is blocked by a range of jagged, frozen mountains dotted with firs and pines. These are mostly responsible for Illusio's cold weather, as they act as a 'refrigirator', the cold descending from Nixtorm passing through them and becoming trapped in the valley that is Illusio's land.

Illusio's borders with Avia's and Cragspur take the form of a raging forest. One third of it belongs to Illusio (since its Power Veins run to a certain point of it), the other third of it goes to Avia and Cragspur (depending on the location) for the same reason, and the middle third of it is neutral territory, as it's the zone into which all of the three kingdoms' Power Veins overlap.

Originally, Illusio was part of the Spirit Coallition along with Yaksha and Spectra. However, Psychic-type trainers and Pokemon soon started feeling distant from the Dark- and Ghost-type Trainers, mainly because of the different nature of their powers, despite all three where spiritual-related. Thus, Illusio left the Coallition and finally stood on its own, also gaining its official name.

Illusio's crystals are some of the few physical manifestation of the Power Veins throughout Ransei. They boost Psychic-type moves and the skills of Pokemon belonging in this type, as well the sorcery and spiritual skills of the kingdom's Warriors. The condensed power also alters space, allowing for the existence of the kingdom's transportation portals. To an extent, the strongest crystals (the ones closest to Illusio's heart) can even alter time, allowing for short glimpses into the near past. However, it is rumoured that, reinforced by the powers of a strong Warrior, a window to the long past can be opened for a short amount of time. There is also a myth regarding the crystals, according to which they're the manifestation of the souls of warriors and Pokemon that died in battle trying to defend their homeland and their loved ones, thus blessing the kingdom with their eternal presence as guardians.

In addition, Illusio's own castle is held afloat in the sky by the power of the crystals atop which it's been built. All crystals always give off a faint glow, signifying the stability and strength of the kingdom's Power Veins as well as the general harmony of the whole region's energy. An alteration to the crystals' glow, whether it becomes brighter, fainter or irregular is a serious sign of something not being right. It frequently signifies an impending disaster. The greater the abnormality, the greater the destruction will be, and the closer it is to happening. In case the strength (and thus glow) of the crystals fades off entirely, the floating crystals, including the ones keeping the castle afloat, lose their power along with the ones situated to the ground. Upon this happening, the castle will fall to the ground and crash to the city below. However, there are no reports of such a great outage of power through the crystals happening in the past, despite there have been documents suggesting great disasters. A complete shut-off of Illusio's Power Veins has never been recorded.

The Warriors of Illusio may possess extraordinary sorcery and spiritual skills. They are frequently able to communicate almost solely through gestures and exchanging of stares. In-between family members, the ability to communicate through telepathy is very frequent and, in fact, the absence of it may signify a general weakened state of one's power that may, in some cases, even result in premature death. Some of Illusio's stronger sorcerers are also able to open a channel of communication to the spirit world, sense spirits and the likes. These Warriors are often part-Ghost-type users although their primary type usually remains Psychic.

Illusio's policy revolves around prosperity into the borders of their own land, no conquest when it is not for the insurance of survival, and punishing of evil-doers.

Illusio's commerce depends heavily in the exporting of crystals, either in the form of gemstones, as a power source for blimps, or in their original form (in which case and through the use of strong sorcery, they can be turned into permanent portals for the use of other kingdoms. In case of a war or in any violation of an agreement, Illusio's leadership has the right to order the destruction of these portals and see to it themselves). It also depends on taxes, since most of the commerce of other kingdoms flows through it and Terrera (as they're both situated in the centre of Ransei).

Illusio's leadership is passed down through blood releation (usually through parents to heirs), with the condition that there must always be _two_ heirs. Siblings (Gender does not matter, although a male and a female sibling are considered an ideal combination). This is mostly thanks to the strong spiritual bond and ability of communication forged between family members of Illusio. Especially members of Illusio's royal bloodline, that has been kept mostly pure ever since the kingdom's founding, possess these abilities to their full potential. Thus, Illusio's leaders tend to try and father more than one offspring. Sometimes, adoption is permitted, but it generally not a preferred method since only siblings by blood have the ability to communicate through telepathy (so cases of adoption are more of a symbolic move). However, even adoption is vastly preferred over inelligible heirs (half-siblings/'bastards'). Inelligible heirs are considered to be the result of their parents' 'dishonorable' acts and thus are regarded as taboo, facing great discrimination.

Opposing the current Warlord without a legit reason, such as unjust administration, is considered a crime.

Illusio's battlefield is a massive floating field of crystals, dotted with transportation portals and metallic floating structures that lead through the arena. It also holds a flag in each side. The first army to capture all four flags is the winner of the battle, but the warriors have to simultaneously fight each other, and should the set time limit run out, or all the challengers are defeated, victory goes to Illusio's army.

Illusio's legendary deities/protectors are Mew, Lugia and Latios with Latias. Mew and Lugia resemble the kingdom's pure energy as well its Warriors' and Pokemon' will to fight for what's right, and the Latis represent the strong bonds between family members (especially siblings). This is the reason why these two Pokemon have become the symbol of the sibling heirs of the kingdom, and they're the reason behind a male and a female sibling being the ideal combination for the kingdom's next set of leaders. Latios and Latias have only offered themselves to the first pair of Warlord siblings, and after their death, the two Pokemon disappeared. According to one of Illusio's legends, they will only appear again in a time of great need, and will once again combine their powers with those of Illusio's heirs in order to bring salvation to the land.

Illusio's people are called "Illusians" although the term "Illusites" has also been thrown around througout history. They generally stick very close to their principles of indiscriminating justice and honour, and their kingdom's quote generally is "In Honour we hold with our heart'.

* * *

 **So I don't know if I am that evident, but I am setting up a lot of things to use in my fanfiction regarding Illusio's leadership here. For those who may not know, PoCon is a crossover of Pokemon and Samurai Warriors (and Nobunaga's Ambition as far as I know), which is a historical game. Based on real history from Japan. So, in real history, Kenshin and Aya were half-siblings. So my headcanon for both PoCon and SW is that Aya, coming from a different mother (according to Koei Wiki), faced a lot of discrimination (one of my -dropped- stories, Legend of Echigo, revolves around this, but I am probably going to re-write it since it's... horrible. Haha.). Anyway all of this is going to play a big part in that PoCon fic I might write sometime between now and 2080 (haha) so yeah. Just setting things up~  
**

 **Also I love Latios and Latias. The fifth movie killed me. I feel I should mention this XD The relationship between Latios and Latias is also why I headcanon them being Kenshin's and Aya's legendary PLs respectively (because let's face it, Mewtwo in Ransei makes no sense). Alternatively, I've thought of Mew as Kenshin's PL, and Kyurem as Aya's (Kyurem is an Ice-type, so it fits her type affinity more). Also I headcanon Lugia being their father's PL. But it went away after his death.**

 **I am rambling but I should be asleep oh well XD**

 **I will try to post Ignis's chapter tomorrow~**

 **~Arashi**


	3. The Legend of Ransei

**EDIT: Mew had been mentioned as one of Illusio's Guardians in my Illusio chapter. However, since Diancie is literally part crystal, I desided to swap Mew with it. Mew is now the Guardian of Aurora, which type-wise might not make sense, but I like to think of it as one of the first, most iconic and most basic legendaries being the protector of one of the most important (game-wise) but also most basic (since it's the kingdom of Normal-types) kingdoms.**

 **I love the fact that I'm not even trying to keep this organised anymore XD anyway, have the whole legend of Ransei's creation because I'm in the mood for something epic. And also I need to cover the Yokai and the Seals of the Guardians in the next couple of days at worst, because I'll be needing them really soon, so yeah. Goodbye organised chapters!**

 **Oh, by the way, huge thanks to Imperator Justinian about the review! I'm glad to see people reading this and liking this! :D And aye I do know the non-Ransei Pokemon are a little weird (prepare yourself, friend, because this chapter's gonna be wild in terms of 'foreign' Pokemon). Also thanks for the correction, I'm always missing all of that ^^;. Also, glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks Mewtwo in Ransei is insane. (and also ayyy, coming up with adjectives for the residents of the kingdoms is certainly a pain XD though yeah 'Illusites' was meant as a nod to your story, which by the way I should take some time and review because it's great!).**

 **Anyway, moving on.**

 **I am aware that Lunala as Viperia's Guardian makes no sense, I know, trust me, _I know_ , but there is no other legendary I could throw to Viperia, and at least Lunala partly makes sense because Nene, current Viperia warlord, has a bat PL. Yes I know, cheap excuse, but it's the only one I have (but otherwise I do take suggestion about a better legendary for Viperia. Seriously. I need help XD).**

 **And yes, I know some legendary trios/duos are missing counterparts (we're missing Moltress, Crescelia and three Regis. Oh and Solgaleo) but cramming them into other kingdoms that already have at least two guardians sounds kind of OP.**

 **I'm kinda proud of this…? But I'm also dead. Enjoy!**

 **As a small piece of info: the kingdoms are referred to with their names, even though the chapter refers to the time before they were named so by humans. It's done so for the sake of simplicity.**

* * *

Ransei was shaped and created by Arceus, who wanted to create an ideal land for humans and Pokemon. It was, essentially, the first region to be created, and due to the fact that it was Arceus's hope of a peaceful world, it chose to isolate it from the rest of the Pokemon world. It is always shrouded in thick fog, so no ship or plane can reach it. This is one of the reasons about why Ransei is behind in technology. Few news of the outside world reach it, thus the warriors do have a limited knowledge of things outside of their region, but most things are completely vague, unclear, etc.

When it created Ransei, Arceus split apart its inner energy, that encompassed all seventeen Pokemon types, into seventeen Plates. It planted each one through the continent, and itself kept no type. Arceus is virtually type-less, but with its ability, Omnipotent, it's able to fight. The only move it can use is Judgement, and even that is not considered a regular Pokemon move, but rather the materialization of the infinite energy that runs through its ageless body.

Through each Plate, Arceus created its descendants, the Legendary Guardians: immensely powerful mystical beings that were the beginning of actual life in Ransei. Depending on the trait each one got from their creator, the Guardians made the location of their corresponding Plate their home.

Mew, the Guardian of Life, took residence in the land that was to be named Aurora in the long future.

Reshiram, the Guardian of Truth and Entei, the Guardian of Fire, became the protectors of Ignis.

Virizion, the Guardian of Nature, and Shaymin, the Guardian of Gratitude, were sent in Greenleaf.

Kyogre, the Guardian of the Seven Seas, and Suicune, the Guardian of Purity, were trusted with Fontaine.

Raikou, the Guardian of Lightning, and Zapdos, the Guardian of Storms, chose Violight as their home.

Coballion, the Guardian of Courage, was to be the protector of Pugilis.

Meloetta, the Guardian of Innocence, was taksed with Chrysalia.

Diancie, the Guardian of Crystals, Lugia, the Guardian of Honour, and Latios and Latias, the Guardians of Love and Unity, were the ones to look after Illusio.

Groudon, the Guardian of the Dessert, made its home in Terrera.

Terrakion, the Guardian of the Earth, chose to protect Cragspur.

Darkrai, the Guardian of Nightmares, would be the one responsible of Yaksha.

Lunala, the Guardian of the Night, would watch over Viperia.

Ho-oH, the Guardian of the Skies, would bless the kingdom of Avia.

Dialga, the Guardian of Time, would keep watch over Valora.

Articuno, the Guardian of Ice, would forever roam and watch over Nixtorm.

Giratina, Guardian of Souls, was entrusted to protect Spectra.

Finally, with the remaining parts of its energy, Arceus crafted three more creatures: Rayquaza, Father of Dragons, Palkia, Guardian of Dimensions, and Zekrom, Bearer of Ideals. These three were positioned in the land that Arceus has used when it first descended down to the land it had created –the land that was to become the kingdom of Dragnor. The three were made considerably stronger than the rest of the Guardians, as they were to serve as protectors of Arceus's connection to the mortal realm. Arceus built the Infinity Tower, that was to become the threat that would connect its soul with the land it had created. And in three caves around the Tower, it placed the three stones that contained the souls of the Three High Guardians, and that would only awaken when times were dire, and when the peace and the balance between the Realm of the Living, the Realm of the Spirits and the Realm of the Guardians would be disturbed. But Arceus prayed this day would never come…

So as the Guardians came to life, Arceus disappeared to the Higher Realm. The Guardians were left to do as they saw fit, and each one proceeded to bring forth their own creations. Each thought long and hard about it, and finally each created two classes of beings. Humans, and Pokemon. Pokemon, being created after the image of the Guardians, had a more direct connection to the Plates and the Power Veins that ran under each kingdom. But humans –Warriors- were given the ultimate gift: the ability to form unbreakable bonds with Pokemon, bonds that binded their minds and souls and merged them into one.

Each Pokemon in existence would have a warrior counterpart. There would never be a warrior without a Pokemon. From the time they were both born, their fates would be intertwined, and when the time would come, Fate would have it that they'd meet and become one.

This was to be called the Link. It was to be the most sacred thing in all of existence. One –Warrior or Pokemon- who acted against it would have no place in the blessed land that was called Ransei. And the two individuals would be so strongly connected that, should death befall one of them, the one would lose part of their very soul. Essentially, they'd become nothing but husks of their old selves. Slowly, they would die from the severe trauma of the event of Separation, as it was to be called.

Years, centuries, eons flew fast and Ransei was a land of peace, prosperity and happiness. The Guardians were worshipped, the Warriors and Pokemon were living as one. There was nothing that would disturb the tranquility that Arceus had wished about…

But it was not destined to stay like that for ever…

Giratina, the Guardian of Souls, intrigued by magic and sorcery, would delve deeper and deeper into it. It discovered the Dark Blessings, a form of sorcery that would go against the laws that Arceus had put in place. But Giratina would overlook this. Such great discoveries, that could grant such power to its people and Pokemon… they could become unstoppable. They could take all over Ransei, and rule it in a way that no injustice or ill act would ever befall it… Death would cease to be a permanent problem. Its people would stop weeping for the demise of their loved ones… And the peoples' minds would be able to be controlled, in order to avoid any evil act that would disturb this eternal peace… How great did it all sound!

So Giratina summoned the current warlord of its kingdom, and his closest followers. It passed the knowledge of the Dark Blessings to them, and urged them to spread them further and further…

But Giratina did not foresee Arceus's rage. As soon as it realised that its laws had been trespassed, and that the art of the Dark Blessings had been passed down to the Warriors and Pokemon, Arceus descended from the Higher Realm. Enraged, it punished the people and the Pokemon that had come to contact with such forbidden arts. And after it was done with the mortals, Arceus shifted its rage towards its direct creation… Giratina cowered in fear, and pleaded with apologies. But Arceus was not one to forgive such grave offense. And so, Giratina was eternally banished from the Realm of the Guardians, forced to live in the distorted reality that it itself had created, alone, with only the disfigured souls of those who would not be able to cross to the Realm of the Spirits for company…

And so the Distortion Realm became Giratina's only home, the screams of the tortured soul its sole company… Desperation and regret filled every inch of the once noble Guardian. And slowly, darkness spread through the Distortion World, and through the whole of its kingdom… Giratina would only thirst for the destruction of the world it had once tried to bless…

The kingdom of Spectra became cursed, as spirits that had once lived in it would often be trapped in the Realm of the Living. These spirits would take the appearance of will-o-wisps that would curse whoever they touched, or they would haunt the grounds around Giratina's temple, and consequently, the castle itself…

As the Warriors' charisma in magic shifted towards the dark arts of Forbidden Magic, Spectra was broken away from the Spirit Coallition, an alliance between Illusio, Yaksha and Spectra itself, that had been formed in the base of the three kingdoms exporting a common affinity for sorcery.

Spectra became known as the Domain of the Cursed Souls… And enmity started to spring between all of the kingdoms, as fear started to strike their hearts… The Great Destruction was nearing…

…But that, is a story to be told in another time.

* * *

 **Haha yeah have a cliffhanger. I'm terribly sorry for that. But I have no strenght left to write any more for today. I'll wake up early tomorrow to continue. So yeah, at some point these days I'll hit you up with the Great Distruction, the Yokai, and the Seals chapters. And after that, my big project fic will finally be ready to get going! Man, I can't believe I'm actually doing it ;0;**

 **Anyway... I hope you enjoyed, and I'd love to hear your own opinion in the history of Ransei! :D**


	4. Ransei's Power Veins

**Eyyy what is that? An update in the time spawn of less than a month? :D I'm proud.**

 **So, this chapter is super important to realise how a lot of things in Ransei work. In addition, I decided not to include anything major about the Great Destruction, the Seals, and the Yokai, because while it wouldn't exactly be spoilers, it would ruin a lot of the 'secrecy' behind the actual story. Better leave some cliffhangers there, right? :3**

 **Anyway, if you squint you might spot some omens of what the above things are though. I mean, it's pretty clearly mentioned (as a terminology). Try and guess what it means :D**

 **Also high chance I'll be changing Power Veins to Mana Veins but I ain't sure yet.**

 **Oh well. I hope I can finish the planning of the final chapters of the story today. From tomorrow, expect it to begin!**

 **For now, enjoy this small but crucial lore thing :3**

* * *

The Power Veins of Ransei are the direct results of Arceus planting each Plate that was later to be the centre of a kingdom. The Power Veins' characteristics correspond to the type of the Plate. For example, the Plate that was planted under the land that later became Violight granted Electric-type Power Veins to the kingdom.

Not much is known about the Power Veins themselves –the most of what is known about them is related to the effect they have on Pokemon and Warriors. They are speculated to flow like rivers, originating from each Plate, still buried beneath the centre of each kingdom.

It is what determines the type of the Pokemon species native to each kingdom. It is what enhances their natural skills and moves –thus, a Pokemon fighting in the ground of the kingdom it originates from is automatically at an advantage against invaders.

Warriors, while not so directly affected as their Pokemon, are also given enhances and extraordinary skills that correspond to the type of the Power Veins of their kingdom. The Warriors of Illusio are given extraordinary mind and sorcery skills, as an example. The Warriors of Yaksha are able to manipulate the shadows. The Warriors of Greenleaf are able to read the flora of their kingdom, and so on.

Warlords are, in every case, more directly connected to the Power Veins than the rest of the residents of a kingdom. Even if, based on each kingdom's succession system, a Warlord is not stemming from the bloodline of each kingdom's First Warlord (the Warlords that were directly linked with each kingdom's Guardians and were the first to rule each domain), they become directly connected with the Power Veins and the Guardians by sacrificing a few drops of blood to the Guardians' temples the day of their coronation. It is then that they will also receive the Seal of each kingdom's Guardian, and the ability to activate the Blessing through it. While Warlords descending directly from the First Ones are born with the Seal engraved on top of their hands (which is a considerably less painful process), the ability to activate a Guardian's Blessing with it remains the same whether the individual was born bearing the Seal or was to acquire it further into life by being crowned as a Warlord.

The Power Veins are, in a sense, directly linked to the kingdoms' very existence and are what sustains life in Ransei. A disruption in them will be the direct result of any breach or disruption between the balance of the Realms, and the results will be fatal. Each kingdom will begin exporting symptoms of its Power Veins going haywire. This is always an omen that a great calamity is soon to strike. Most of the times, it is irreversible and the best the Warriors and Pokemon can do is prepare to face it…

Warlords would be directly affected in such a case, as they're directly linked with their kingdom's Power Veins. The symptoms they'll export will vary: ranging from simply sensing that something's really wrong, to physical symptoms like sickness, hallucinations or, in extreme cases, even death. The worse the symptoms are, the greater the destruction is going to be.

It is said that in such a case of calamity, the legendary Guardians will awake from their eternal slumber, and will seek to form a Link with the Warlord(s) of each kingdom in order to protect life in Ransei…

* * *

 **It's very short compared to what I usually write. I tried to leave out details that would equal spoilers and the likes too, besides that's pretty much all you need to know.**

 **Anyway, until next time!~**


	5. The Seals

**Update, 29/07/2017: Added a small paragraph to the end of this chapter, regarding the physical impact of the Seals' usage. Nothing major, but there nonetheless.**

 **Yoooo I found some free wifi since we went into the city earlier than I thought! Unfortunately I hadn't had time to even start my next chapter of Wrath of the Heavens, and I didn't manage to finsih the one-shot I've been working since morning (proctastination and books played a huge role at that).**

 **But I did manage to whip out a quick lore chapter. I know I'd said I wouldn't write about the Seals, but eventually I decided to do it anyway. Because it is one of my favorite lore pieces and couldn't wait to write it down XD (Also, you may find some hints in it for WotH if you squint really hard).**

 **This is really rushed, short and probably full of mistakes since I was a little bit under pressure (we came to the city during late afternoon, about 3 hours later than I had expected we would, so... I rushed a lot with this XD).**

 **Anyway, I don't know when I'll have access to free wifi again, but most likely I will be able to post that one-shot I'm writing for the Conquest fandom, plus a short fic for another fandom, if I get lucky (when I'm not writing PoCon I become extremely counterproductive for some reason).**

 **For now, enjoy this quick thingie! :D**

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The Seals are, essentially, a manifestation of the Guardians' Blessing to each kingdom of Ransei. When each Guardian firstly created the humans of each kingdom, it bestowed to the selected Warlords its mark -a symbol in the form of scars, different for each Guardian, engraved at the back of each Warlord's right hand.

The symbols -the Seals, as they came to be called- are the esscence that connect the Warlords of each kingdom, whether they're the direct descendands of the First Warlords or not, to the First Guardian of each kingdom (for example, the first Guardian of Illusio is Diancie, the first Guardian of Fontaine is Kyogre, and so on for the kingdoms that worship multiple Guardians). In case of direct succession through royal bloodlines, meaning that all the Warlords of each kingdom hail directly from the First Ones, that were directly created by the Guardians, the Seal appears engraved into their hands by birth, developping further as they grow. By the age of ten, the Seal is fully visible and developped.

In cases such as that of Aurora, when the Warlord is selected via contest and may not even hail from the kingdom itself, a ceremony for the bestowing of the Seal takes place. The appointed champion, who's to be the new Warlord, sheds a few drops of their blood at the central temple of the kingdom, forming a blood oath to the Guardian. Should the Guardian accept their oath -which is usually the case- the Seal will start appearing at their hand. It's a rather painful process as it eventually means that the Guardian's aura is flourishing within them and their Perfect Link, but in the span of up to six months, the Seal is fully formed and functioning.

But what are the Seals for, besides symbolising a tie to the Guardians and a Warlord's duty to serve their kingdom and their people?

To put it simply; the Seals are a last resort. In case of great calamity approaching, the Warlord can activate the Seal by sacrificing a small amount of blood at the altar of the Guardian that is represented in their Seal. Through this procedure, the Warlord essentially becomes a vessel for the Guardian to descend back to the Realm of the Living. Immense power is manifested through the Warlord, enabling them to perform the utmost sacrifice to protect their kingdom against an otherwise unbeatable enemy. However, it is almost certain that, after the activation, the Warlord dies of overextertion. In the case of this not occuring, the Warlord becomes a husk of their old self, sucked empty of all their mana and unable to use any kind of magic ever again. In most cases, their Link to their partner breaks or becomes so weak that it's barely enough to keep them both alive, as there is no energy left inside the Warlord to sustain the connection.

The Seals also act as a Warlord's tether to their kingdom. While the only way to unlock their full potential is by sacrificing blood to their own kingdom's temple, the Seals can also be used as sort of an emergency lifeline. Since they constantly connect the Warlords to their kingdoms (allowing them to sense anything unusual that may be wrong with the Power Veins, essentially linking the Warlords to them), it can be used as an emergency means to draw energy from the Veins, even if they're very far away from the core. This is meant to be a self-defensive failsafe. However, by using the Seal in such a way, the Warlord becomes almost completely drained of their mana and needs time to recover their strenght, since drawing power from the Veins from a great distance, despite happening only with the help of the Seal, is immensely dangerous and draining. It also means that the Warlords have little to no control over the power they use during that time.

During their use, the scar-like marks that compose the Seals glow in a light the intensity of which depends on the means of its use. In case of the temple activation, the Warlord's whole body becomes covered with the markings of the Seal, that are essentially a summoning spell to the Guardian. In the case of the second use, merely the Seals themselves will glow, without expading to the rest of the Warlord's body. The maximum space the Seals take vary.

In case the Seals are used for any means other than what Arceus and the Guardians have appointed them for (exclusively self-defense and the protection of the people), it will signal a great calamity, like the First Great Destruction that was brought upon by the foolishness and futile ambitions of men...

In case of its primary use, to summon a Guardian, the Seal will look like a freshly carved wound on the Warlord's flesh, and will remain so, also hurting moderately, for a span of up to six months before returning to its previous form. In case of its secondary use, where it is to be used as a tether to the kingdom's core, it will look like freshly scarred wounds and will only be slightly painful for up to a week, before slowly returning to its previous form.

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 **Sooo that was it :3 I know not much is explained, but it will clear up in the story itself. Also, I have an example of a Seal somewhere in my personal tumblr acc (I was drawing a map of Illusio, and included the Seal of Diancie in the explanation. The Seal of Diancie is the only one I have uploaded, but I've sketched out the Seal of Fontaine -which is camouflaged, supposedly, between Motochika's tribal tatoos, as he's inked in the scars that form it, as well as around it. I've also designed the concept for Aurora's and Greenleaf's Seals. Nobunaga's Seal is still in the making, since the Dragnorian Seals had always been... different. Let's see if you can guess why~ Not that I'll be revealing anything, but I'm curious to see your thoughts on the matter ^3^ ).**

 **Anyway, till next time! :D**


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